Looking at Mary he thought of her mother, and so of Daniel. Clearly they hadn’t made it to Mary, or had been killed or captured if they had. Given that Rafael and the Major had clearly brought Josef and the others to witness their triumph it was likely that Daniel wasn’t a prisoner. Josef felt sure Daniel would have been there in chains as well, to bear witness to Rafael’s victory. Josef looked around the room, hoping against all sense that he might see Daniel hiding somewhere. He didn’t. There was nowhere to hide.
Then, reluctantly, Josef’s eyes turned towards Rafael. The cause of so much misery radiated darkness. Josef could sense a link between Rafael and the shell of dark power surrounding Mary, though he couldn’t tell which way the power was flowing.
Rafael paused for a moment, sweeping his eyes over Josef and the others. He spared them a cold smile, then turned away. Clearly they were of no concern to him anymore.
Just as despair threatened to overwhelm him, Josef heard a shout from his right. A guard stationed there was pointing towards the wall. Josef stared in amazement as a large chunk of rock swung away to reveal a tunnel. A short woman sprinted out, closely followed by Daniel, Sarah and twenty or more others. All were armed. Josef felt his heart leap. There was still hope!
Daniel charged out of the tunnel, sword drawn. Clara ran ahead but Daniel held back, keeping pace with Sarah. As he ran he scanned their surroundings. They were in a huge space. Slightly to the right was a large, raised area with a dome above. The sanctum. Right where Clara had said it would be. Standing in the Sanctum was a stunned looking Rafael. Nearby Mary lay on a large stone table, cocooned in a shell of darkness. Were they too late? No. They couldn’t be. Mary was clearly still alive. There was still time.
Daniel lengthened his stride, closing in on Clara. Without warning he crashed into an invisible barrier. His skin burned where it touched the barrier. Following close behind him, Sarah ran into the barrier too. The air in front of them and to the sides started pulsing with a visible darkness. Those following behind skidded to a halt. Turning Daniel saw that the energy formed a cage around them all. A trap!
Turning back he realised he was wrong. One of them wasn’t in the trap. Clara. She had calmly stopped and turned around, and was facing him now. She shook her head slowly.
“Too easy,” she taunted. “So trusting — all of you.”
Rafael’s expression changed from surprise to glee. He ran towards the cage of energy with all the speed his unnatural powers gave him, laughing as he came.
“So we meet again,” he said to Daniel. “For the second time. Or the third if you count our shared dream. Things will end very differently this time. This is my territory. Mine! You have no idea of the power I can call upon here. This temple has housed a huge pool of dark power for more centuries than you can imagine, and tonight that power will become fully mine. No one will be able to stand against me. Especially not you, the pathetic shadow of what you could have been. I may even turn you again, force you to be my slave through the centuries. Yes, I’d like that.”
Daniel didn’t answer, instead he sent a blast of energy at the cage. For a moment it gave under the assault, then it reformed into an even tighter knot of darkness than before. Daniel tried again, using different patterns, different combinations of powers. He tried subtle probes and all out attacks. The dark cage adapted to every attempt.
“Give it up,” Rafael said, gloating. “You are trapped. Nothing you do will work. The power of the Dark God is too strong here. Now, I have a ritual to complete.”
He turned away. Daniel desperately looked around the room. To his amazement he saw Josef and some of the other guards nearby, but it turned to despair when he saw they were securely chained. There would be no aid from that direction.
“Daniel… please… there must be something you can do,” Sarah pleaded.
“I… I have tried…” Then he saw the look in her eyes, remembered what was at stake. “Do not despair. I will not give up. Be ready.”
“It won’t work,” said Clara. “He’s far too powerful for you.”
“Why?” asked Daniel. “Why did you betray us.”
Rafael stopped and turned back, smiling. Apparently he wanted to hear this. Clara stepped closer to the barrier, holding her lantern up high, as if to better study Daniel.
“Oh Daniel, why do you think? Power! Rafael can offer me the power of the Chosen. Eternal life. Power. Safety. How could I resist? Besides, do you really think you could ever have penetrated so far into the temple without there being a double cross involved?”
Daniel stared into Clara’s eyes, trying to read her soul. He wondered how he could have misjudged her so badly.
Chapter Thirty-One
As Daniel stared into Clara’s eyes her lantern seemed to grow brighter, and her words kept running through his head. Double cross. Without there being a double cross. There was no doubt now, her lantern was glowing brighter and brighter. Yet no one else was reacting. Sudden realisation dawned and Daniel focused his powers, preparing to react, just as Clara turned and threw the lantern at Rafael.
It exploded in a blinding flash of white power, sending a howling Rafael reeling backwards. The blaze of white power washed over the dark cage trapping Daniel, causing it to flicker and die. Rafael continued to retreat, jumping back up to the sanctum. The guards and vampires around the room all collapsed to the floor holding their heads. He smiled fiercely as he understood. Rafael kept almost every one of his servants closely bound to his own will and power. The blast of white energy had bled over into that link, striking at the vampires and guards as well as Rafael.
Knowing they had only a few moments before Rafael, the vampires and the guards recovered Daniel leapt towards Josef and the other prisoners. He slashed out with his powers, cutting through their bonds, then he ran for the sanctum. Ignoring Rafael he ran to where Mary lay. Unleashing all the powers he could muster he desperately tried to pierce the shell of darkness. Like the cage, the dark power in the shell reacted to his efforts, adapting and blocking them. Undeterred Daniel kept pressing forwards. He had seen the effect Clara’s blast of white power had on the cage and Rafael, so he used that as the basis of each new pattern he tried. Soon he and the dark power of the shell were locked in fierce battle. Flares of energy of all types flew away from the fight, visible to everyone in the room. Daniel pressed on, knowing he had to pierce the barrier before Rafael recovered and attacked.
The moment his shackles fell free Josef was in motion, grabbing a sword from a guard who had fallen nearby.
“Get weapons,” Josef yelled.
Every one of his men did, even William he was pleased to see. Several turned the weapons against their owners. Josef realised he needed to do the same, though striking down someone who was defenceless felt very wrong.
“Come here,” shouted a voice. He realised it was the woman who had appeared to double cross Daniel, but had then turned the tables on Rafael. He saw that she was drawing in white power from her surroundings, forcing it into the weapons of those who had accompanied her. Once done the weapons gave off the same pattern Josef remembered seeing from his own sword. Somehow she was infusing them with the power to destroy darkness. He didn’t hesitate.
“Follow me,” he shouted, running over to the woman and offering his sword.
She smiled at him, forcing the white power into his sword, then moving on to those of his men.
“We have to aid Daniel,” she said. “And give him time to save the girl. Some of us need to attack Rafael. The rest need to keep the guards and night walkers from reaching Daniel.”
“The night walkers are mine,” Nathan said fiercely. “I owe them. Josef, you take Rafael.”
“All right. Take the men Nathan. You have to cover a wide area. They can anchor the line for…” he faltered. “For those that came with this lady.”
“Clara,” she said. “Now let’s go. Alf, Tanner — with us.”
She turned and started towards the sanctum. Josef ran beside her. They w
eren’t the first. Sarah was already twenty paces ahead of them. Someone suddenly stepped in front of her. The Major! Josef cursed. Sarah had shown promise, but the Major would be a highly experienced swordsman. Josef ran even faster, hoping to reach her in time even as he knew he would be much too late.
Major Zentmann grinned as the woman ran towards him. Everything from the way she held the sword to her balance told him she was an amateur. Talented perhaps, but without real experience. He saw the leader of the prisoners, Josef, racing along behind her, but he was far too far back to help. The Major knew he would enjoy this kill.
As the woman came close enough she raised her sword high to strike down. The Major lunged straight for her. With her sword held high she couldn’t possibly block. Her only option, given how her body was turned, was to dodge towards the left. No amateur could avoid making that move, for that matter any professional stupid enough to be in the position she was would do so too. At the last moment Rafael swung his sword to the left, just in time to impale her as she changed direction.
She didn’t change direction. Eyes burning she came straight at him — as if she didn’t care whether he killed her. Now it was the Major whose sword was hopelessly out of position to block, and there was no time to react. The last thing he saw, and felt, was her sword crashing down onto the top of his skull.
Josef couldn’t believe what he had seen for a moment, then he grinned fiercely, remembering Sarah’s utter disregard for her own safety when fighting. The Major had been arrogant, assuming his greater experience would guarantee him victory, and he had paid the price. Josef ran past the body, resisting the urge to kick it, and followed Sarah who had now mounted the steps and was fast closing in on Rafael. Josef saw with horror that Rafael had recovered and drawn his own blade. He would have seen what happened to the Major and wouldn’t make the same mistakes.
There would be no tricks this time. Sarah was hopelessly outmatched. If she knew she showed no sign of it. She continued to close on Rafael. Josef sprinted forward, trying to join the fray before Rafael swatted her aside.
Sarah ran on, eyes fixed on Rafael. She was aware of Daniel to the side, locked in a fight to free Mary. She fought the urge to run to his side. There was nothing she could do there. She had to distract Rafael, keep him from attacking Daniel. She knew it would only ever be a delaying action. She had no illusions about her ability to defeat Rafael.
As she drew close her limbs started to feel heavy, moving became difficult. She recognised the feeling — it was the same as the spell Rafael had cast over her and Jon the night Mary was taken. For a moment she faltered, then she fought back. Every night since she had dreamed of the attack, of being helpless while Mary was taken from her. Those dreams made her stronger, as did the thought of Jon who had been with her then but was now gone. Anger drove the lethargy from her muscles. With a scream of rage she reached Rafael, lashing out at him.
For a moment she surprised him, forcing him to counter awkwardly. She lashed out again, and again. But the advantage was gone. Rafael had centuries of experience to call upon, and the speed and strength of a night walker. He deflected several more blows then struck, lightning fast, easily sliding past Sarah’s sword and striking for her heart. Steel rang on steel as Josef’s desperate block turned the blade so it slid just past Sarah’s body.
Josef quickly recovered, preparing to block the next strike, or take an opening of his own. Even an experienced fighter could struggle against two opponents. Rafael hissed and pulled back. Josef sensed the dark power Rafael was drawing ready to lash out at Sarah and he. Before it could be unleashed a bolt of white energy crashed into Rafael, forcing him backwards.
Several more bolts crashed into him, Josef turned enough to see they came from Clara. Rafael easily blocked these though, then he squared off against the three of them. Once again he drew in dark power, preparing to strike.
“Daniel,” Josef bellowed. “If you can’t free Mary now then we need to kill Rafael. He’s linked to the darkness.”
Rafael unleashed a storm of darkness. Josef found his sword deflected some of it, as did Sarah’s, but it was like standing in a hurricane. He saw Clara try to block the power for a moment before she was sent crashing back.
“Daniel!” Josef yelled desperately.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The guards and night walkers quickly recovered. Nathan spread out his force, mixing his fellow guards with those who had accompanied Sarah and Daniel. For a moment he wondered if they could be trusted, then he realised it didn’t matter. If they couldn’t then all was lost anyway.
All such worries were smashed aside as the first wave of enemies charged into them. Nathan grinned fiercely, enjoying the chance to fight on an even footing. He soon found that the swords worked as well against the night walkers as his own sword had. The power had an effect on the guards too, though it was much less. Where night walkers would fall screeching in agony when struck down, the guards acted as if they had been burnt but still kept fighting.
Surprisingly, the line held. Nathan realised he’d cut down nine or ten enemies himself, and their unnamed allies were fierce fighters too. It couldn’t last though. More and more night walkers and guards were closing in. Within moments he was fighting for his life once more.
A yell came from his left just as he cut down a night walker and found himself a brief respite. Samuel had gone down, a guard’s sword sticking from his chest — though he’d rammed his own sword through the guard’s throat. One of their allies was down too, and another — a huge man with scarred arms — was fighting off three night walkers. Two more were closing in.
With a screech of rage Nathan launched himself into the fray. One night walker died instantly when Nathan’s sword ripped its throat out. Nathan killed another with a stomach thrust, as the huge man grabbed a third by its head and rammed his sword into its chest.
Nathan tried to drag his sword clear but couldn’t. The dying night walker hung onto the handle fiercely. Nathan looked up to see another dark creature about to leap. With a yell of pure agony he managed to lift his sword, dying night walker and all. The leaping night walker skewered itself on the blade where it stuck out of its fellow’s back.
Nathan collapsed under the combined weight of the two night walkers. He looked up in time to see his huge ally overwhelmed by three more, then glowing red eyes glared down into his and a sword punched down through his chest. Even through the pain Nathan grinned. He had more than settled his score with the dark creatures. He died still smiling, a final challenge to the world.
Daniel jerked at Josef’s cry. Turning he saw Clara thrown backwards by Rafael’s power, and both Sarah and Josef struggling to keep their feet. He feared Josef was right. Nothing he did was piercing the shell of darkness surrounding Mary. There was no doubt it was linked to Rafael, so killing him might well free Mary. Daniel charged towards Rafael, unleashing his own powers.
Rafael rocked backwards under the assault, before striking out again at all his attackers. While Sarah and Josef struggled, Daniel easily turned aside the attack. With Rafael’s attention and powers divided between the three of them Daniel could easily shield himself. He attacked again, using all the knowledge he had gained since their last meeting. Rafael rocked backwards again, and this time a little of the power got through. A patch on Rafael’s arm started to singe.
With a scream of rage Rafael reached out, drawing more and more power from the darkness surrounding Mary. For a moment Daniel hoped it would weaken the shell and he launched another attempt to reach Mary, but if anything the dark shell was even stronger.
Then Rafael attacked. This time Sarah tumbled from her feet and was thrown backwards. Josef kept his feet but stood head down, as if facing down a hurricane. Daniel was able to deflect the attack but it took much more effort this time. Reaching deep within he summoned more power, crafting it into a viciously thin probe that he launched at Rafael.
It barely rocked the vampire. Daniel sensed the vampire was still drawing po
wer from the dark shell, more and more of it. Then he realised what was actually happening, what the ritual was really about. Rafael sought to absorb the power, to become stronger than ever before. He had made a deadly mistake. Rafael wouldn’t be absorbing the power, instead the power would possess him. The Dark God would have a living vessel to contain it, or the fragment of the Dark God that was within the temple would. Rafael truly would become a demigod, far too powerful for anyone to face, but in doing so he would become a slave within his own body.
The process was already starting. More and more power flowed into Rafael. Daniel doubted Rafael could stop the flow now even if he wanted to. The ritual, and Mary, had only ever been a catalyst. Mary was incidental to the process now, though Daniel had no doubt the Dark God would crush her once it had finished possessing Rafael.
Daniel continued to attack, now focusing on the link between Rafael and the pool of dark power. Once again he found that not only was the power too great, it reacted intelligently to his attacks, learning to neutralise them. Daniel started to despair. Nothing was working and the darkness in Rafael was growing stronger with every passing moment.
Somehow Josef was still on his feet, and slowly working his way closer to Rafael. For the moment Rafael, or whatever he had now become, seemed to have forgotten Josef. Hope flared in Daniel for a moment, then died as a vampire seemed to come from nowhere and dragged Josef to the floor. Within moments more followed, closing in on Daniel. He could have kept them at bay easily with the power he now had, but not with Rafael launching continuous attacks. The vampires got closer and closer. Daniel’s shields were pressed closer and closer to his body.
Dark Soul Silenced - Part Two Page 22